1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electric or electronic animal traps and, more particularly, to an animal trap adapted to catch and electrocute a targeted animal simultaneously stepping on two spaced electrodes, with an assembly including a mechanical switch and a baffle that respectively activate the electrodes and ensure continued contact of the animal with the electrodes.
Although the concepts of the instant invention are equally applicable to traps for animals of any size, devices of this type are primarily utilized in connection with the trapping of rodents such as mice and the description will, therefore, focus on this application.
2. Description of the Related Art
Animal traps using electrically charged plates to kill the target animal are often unsuccessful as the animal may react to the initial voltage by jumping which, depending upon the landing location, can allow the animal to recover and escape. It is also not uncommon for target animals to avoid electrocution by backing out of the trap.
To address these problems, traps having rodent-directing diverter elements have been developed such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,899 (“the '899 patent”) which is assigned to the present assignee. The disclosure of the '899 patent is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth in its entirety.
In the '899 patent, two electrodes in the form of plates are positioned on the floor of the trap housing so as to be separated by a space. Diverter elements positioned within the housing include a downwardly extending baffle mounted to the cover of the trap so that, when the cover is closed, the baffle extends into the space between the electrodes. The electrodes are not activated until the rodent makes contact with both of the plates and the resistance of the rodent is detected. Once a rodent is dispatched so as to remain in contact with the plates, the trap must be serviced. Resistance sensing to activate a high voltage generator to electrocute a rodent is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,636. Mechanical switch sensing to initiate high voltage is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,091.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,054 to Levine also discloses a electrical trap having a baffle that is rotatably mounted within the trap housing. The baffle is coupled to a rod extension that, when pivoted with the baffle in response to contact with a rodent, mechanically closes two switch contacts which activates an electrical circuit to electrocute the rodent. To ensure completion of the electrocution cycle, the rod extension is held in engagement with the switch contacts by a magnet and thus must be manually reset before the trap can be reactivated.
A trap having three plates has also been developed as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,466 (“the '466 patent”), also assigned to the present assignee. The disclosure of the '466 patent is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth in its entirety.
Like the two-plate trap in the '899 patent, the three-plate trap set forth in the '466 patent also relies upon the target animal's simultaneous physical contact with at least two of the plates and the sensing of the animal as a resistance value to activate the electrodes. As a result, once a mouse has been electrocuted and remains in contact with the plates, the trap must be serviced before it can be reset.